Problems continue

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

Problems continue in the U.S.-led war in Iraq. As of Sept. 30, 1057 military personnel had died in the war - 947 since Pres. Bush announced an end to major hostilities on May 1, 2003. In the next 14 months, until the U.S. turned over sovereignty on June 28, 715 died - an average of 51 a month.

In the three months since, 204 U.S. military have died - an average of 68 a month. After a high of 135 deaths in April, casualties dropped to 80 in May and 42 in June, but have risen monthly since.

Before turning over sovereignty, U.S. officials warned of a likely spike in violence against our forces. Then, they said, things should settle down because Iraqis would be in charge, eliminating the U.S. as a target.

They were wrong. Now we're told to expect an increase in violence leading up to national elections in January. The rest is left unsaid, but clearly the implication is that Iraq will then settle down.

Perhaps it will, but there are ample reasons to believe that U.S. military deaths may keep rising.

For example, The Christian Science Monitor, using unclassified reports by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, reported Sept. 30 that Iraq has a shortage of police, as well as radios and body armor for them. The U.S. estimates that Iraq needs 135,000 police, but has only about 85,000, which includes police who recently deserted or resigned. Only about 33,000 on-duty police have been adequately trained, U.S. reports said.

At the same time, attacks by Sunnis, Shiites and some foreign terrorists are taking place throughout Iraq. The insurgents have no central authority and the groups are not working together.

Iraqis overwhelmingly oppose U.S. occupation, but think they are better off than they were under Saddam Hussein.

As for the elections, The Monitor reported Oct. 1 that a Iraq Center for Research and Strategic Studies poll found that 68% of Iraqis questioned said they would definitely vote, down from 92% in July. (Another 25% said they would "probably" vote.) Iraqis cite lack of information on the candidates, indifference and security concerns for their hesitancy. Many said they worry that the five political parties running the country will dominate elections and that people in many areas will not be able to vote making the election meaningless.

Furthermore, The Monitor reported, U.S. and Iraqi officials worry that their efforts to destroy pockets of insurgents could allow true national elections; there is also a chance they could alienate Iraqis.

Putting Iraq back together remains a difficult task that demands our prayerful attention.